Brenda Knierim is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 14 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She strives to provide individualized, solution- focused treatment while encouraging others to discover their personal strengths and overcome present difficulties. Ms. Knierim earned her Bachelor of Science from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in 1998. After working in the field for 9 years, she returned to graduate school to earn a Master of Science degree in Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill in 2007.

While attending UNC, Ms. Knierim was one of North Carolina's Child Welfare Collaborative Scholars which provided her with the opportunity to work with children and families in New Hanover County.

Ms. Knierim's diverse educational background and work experience have enabled her to expand her clinical expertise in providing quality treatment. She has an innate ability to connect easily with others. This helps her to join with her clients in identifying specific goals to be addressed during the therapeutic process. She believes in utilizing a multi-dimensional approach to therapy; thereby exploring the physical, emotional, and social aspects of each individual. Additionally, she teaches and fosters effective coping skills as she believes that this is vitally important in helping to enhance each individual's ability to handle challenging circumstances, to increase resiliency, and ultimately to achieve a greater sense of self.

Ms. Knierim integrates various treatment modalities including behavior modification, cognitive therapy, and rational emotive therapy. She received specialized training in motivational interviewing and utilizes it to assist clients in determining their levels of readiness and confidence in making desired changes. She treats issues related to anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, mood disorders, self-esteem, abuse/neglect, and traumatic stress. Furthermore, Ms. Knierim provides assessments and supportive interventions for children demonstrating symptoms of, or who have been formally diagnosed with, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and other childhood disorders. The use of role play and behavior rehearsal is used to teach assertiveness training and improve social skills. With family therapy, she seeks to improve communication and facilitate a mutual understanding among members in order to elicit positive results. Ms. Knierim has also provided treatment to military families coping with deployment issues and related stressors.